Small Act of Kindness

By Linda Patton ~July 7, 2015

We may never know exactly how one small act of kindness will affect someone’s day. However, occasionally the immediate response to the deed will provide a sense of fulfillment and joy to the person who put forth the effort.  

Just another trip to the grocery store turned into one of those mornings. With my cart half filled, I made my way to the canned goods.  My list ordered tomatoes for making chili. Standing in front of the numerous choices, a woman whom I had never met faced the same dilemma that awaited me. Should I choose diced or whole tomatoes? Which brand would fit my budget? I smiled at her, and happily said, “So many choices” as I reached past her to pick up a can to inspect. She half smiled back and made an attempt at a reply. She apologized and explained that she had been standing there for 10 minutes, but she could not focus.

The next thing I know, there we stood in the middle of that aisle, hand in hand, tears rolling down our faces, as she went on to tell me that she was waiting to hear from her granddaughter who at that very moment fought for her life hundreds of miles away. Severe complications during pregnancy had forced labor and delivery, and the odds of either mother or baby surviving were very low. Does anyone really know what to do in that situation? I did all I knew to do-I listened and prayed with her. After thirty minutes, the tears subsided. She hugged me, gave me another half-smile, and said, “I’m sure they will be ok. Waiting is hard.”

The simple gesture of smiling and speaking to her, had given her the opportunity to tell me of her fears, which in turn helped her to pass the time. I have been through situations where time seems to stop and minutes turn to days, those times when all you can do is wait and pray. I never knew how things turned out for that family, but I knew I had been given a purpose for that day. LOVE NEVER FAILS!